Evacuations already have begun in the Tampa metro area, which is home to about 3.5 million people, as the storm approached, mainly because of the storm surge threat. "Storm surge is historically the single deadliest hazard of a hurricane,

It’s hard to find much of a forecast cause for optimism. Milton will combine a generational surge threat to west-central Florida with widespread wind impacts and flash flooding.

Tampa Bay is forecast to face a record-breaking storm surge of 10 to 15 feet. Storm surge in Fort Myers could reach 6 to 10 feet. As Milton moves over Florida, winds ahead of the system could push storm surge up to 5 feet in Jacksonville and up to 4 feet in Savannah.